Shorter games, more running, more action. Two years in, MLB's rule changes have provided a jolt

Major League Baseball is thriving two years after introducing sweeping measures to make the game more exciting. The decision to introduce a pitch clock, ban defensive shifts and limit throwovers has produced a more compelling product for fans. Attendance is up 11% over 2022. Younger fans are buying more tickets and watching more games than they were five years ago. The increased popularity of content creators around the game has also introduced baseball to a new audience.

Dodgers edge second-place Padres 4-3, can clinch NL West with win in series finale

Shohei Ohtani singled in the go-ahead run before stealing his 56th base of the season in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the second-place San Diego Padres 4-3 to move within a victory of clinching the NL West. The Dodgers increased their lead over the Padres to three games with four to play. They need a win in Thursday's series finale to earn their 11th division title in 12 years. Both teams have already clinched postseason berths. The Padres remain 3 1/2 games ahead of Arizona and the New York Mets for the NL's top wild-card spot.

Langford and García homer as the Rangers beat the A's 5-1 in final scheduled night game at Coliseum

Wyatt Langford and Adolis García homered to help the Texas Rangers spoil the final scheduled night baseball game at the Oakland Coliseum, beating the Athletics 5-1. An animated crowd of 35,270 came out on a chilly late September evening, regularly chanting "Sell the team!" as a message to owner John Fisher. The A's have played in the Coliseum since 1968 and are scheduled to move to Sacramento for at least the next three seasons while waiting for a ballpark they hope to open in Las Vegas.

Gallen strikes out 11, Diamondbacks end 3-game slide with 8-2 win over Giants

Zac Gallen struck out 11 in six stellar innings, pinch hitter Pavin Smith hit a three-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks ended a three-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. Arizona needed a rebound after a losing streak that included a blown eight-run lead in a loss to Milwaukee and Tuesday's lackluster 11-0 loss to the Giants. The Diamondbacks responded behind a strong performance from their ace and are .001 behind the New York Mets for the second of three NL wild cards, a game ahead of Atlanta. Gallen gave up a run-scoring double to Tyler Fitzgerald in the second inning, but shut the Giants down after that.

Erick Fedde fans 10 as Cardinals beat Rockies 5-2 for 4th straight win

Iván Herrera had two hits and two runs scored, Masyn Winn tripled and doubled and Erick Fedde struck out 10 as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Wednesday night. Pedro Pagés had two RBI singles and Thomas Saggese added a pair of hits for the Cardinals, who will try to complete a series sweep in Thursday's finale. Brenton Doyle homered leading off the ninth against Matthew Liberatore, who was relieved by Ryan Helsley. Sam Hilliard then grounded into a game-ending double play for Helsley's 48th save in 52 chances. The Rockies need to win three of their final four games to avoid their second straight 100-loss season.

White Sox remain at 120 losses as Benintendi singles in 10th for 4-3 win over Angels

The Chicago White Sox avoided a record-breaking 121st loss for the second straight game, beating the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Andrew Benintendi's 10th-inning single. Chicago is tied with the 1962 New York Mets for the modern major league record for losses in a season. It plays Los Angeles again on Thursday before finishing its schedule with three games at Detroit. Benintendi delivered the go-ahead hit for the second time in as many games when he lined a one-out single to left-center against José Quijada, helping the 38-120 White Sox put off infamy for the second night in a row. Designated runner Miguel Vargas scored from second.

Judge homers in 4th straight but Orioles win 9-7 to again prevent Yankees from clinching AL East

Gunnar Henderson had three of Baltimore's 12 hits in the first four innings, and the Orioles again prevented the New York Yankees from clinching the AL East title by holding on for a 9-7 victory despite another home run from Aaron Judge. Colton Cowser drove in three runs for the playoff-bound Orioles, who tagged substitute starter Marcus Stroman early and improved to 8-4 against New York with one matchup left in their season series. Judge went deep for the fourth game in a row, connecting on his major league-leading 57th homer in a four-run ninth inning. The three-run shot off Matt Bowman upped Judge's total to 142 RBIs, also most in the majors.

Twins snap a three-game skid with 8-3 win over Miami and send the Marlins to their 100th loss

Minnesota's Manuel Margot scored from second in a five-run seventh inning on one of four Miami errors and the Twins rallied to beat the Marlins 8-3 on Wednesday night. Christian Vázquez's sacrifice bunt in the seventh was thrown wide of first base, allowing Margot to score. Carlos Correa followed with an RBI double that scored Vázquez, and Carlos Santana added a three-run double as Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak and sent Miami to its 100th loss of the season for the fourth time in franchise history. The Twins kept their playoff hopes alive with the victory.

Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball goes up for auction with starting bid of $500,000

The baseball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his 50th home run, which gave him 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season, is going up for auction on Friday. Ohtani became the first player in Major League history in the 50-50 club. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar accomplished the feat last week in Miami. The opening bid for the ball is $500,000. There is black scuffing and abrasions on the white leather ball, which was authenticated by Major League Baseball. The fan who caught it is working with Goldin, a New Jersey-based auction house.

Clase hits 1st career HR as Blue Jays beat Red Sox 6-1, eliminating Boston from wild-card race

Jonatan Clase hit his first career home run, Kevin Gausman pitched six innings to match his career-high in wins and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Boston 6-1, eliminating the Red Sox from postseason contention. Clase went 3 for 3 with a walk, scored twice and drove in two. He extended Toronto's lead to 6-1 with a homer off Josh Winckowski in the seventh inning. Alejandro Kirk, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games, had three hits and three RBIs for the Blue Jays. Gausman (14-11) allowed one run and four hits. He walked three and struck out three.

Meadows and Torkelson homer as the Tigers move closer to the postseason with a 7-1 win over the Rays

Parker Meadows and Spencer Torkelson homered, and the Detroit Tigers strengthened their bid for an AL wild card with a 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Detroit moved 10 games over .500 with its fourth consecutive victory. It is tied with Kansas City for second in the wild-card standings behind Baltimore. The Tigers play the Rays on Thursday before finishing the season with three home games against the lowly Chicago White Sox. Detroit is 29-11 since Aug. 10, thanks to ace Tarik Skubal, one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young Award, and a cast of young pitchers.

Royals ride bullpen to 3-0 win over Nationals after Lorenzen's early exit

Five Kansas City relievers pitched 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball after starter Michael Lorenzen's early exit, Robbie Grossman hit a two-run single, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card with a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals. Michael Massey singled in a run off DJ Herz (4-9) to help lift the Royals to a second straight shutout victory after a season high-tying seven-game losing streak. Kansas City and Detroit are both 84-74 but the Royals hold the tiebreaker over the Tigers for the second wild card. Daniel Lynch IV worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the win and Lucas Erceg got the save.

José Ramírez hits 3-run homer in 8th, playoff-bound Guardians beat Reds 5-2

José Ramírez hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning after Cleveland pitchers retired the first 18 batters, lifting the AL Central champion Guardians to a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. Ramírez hit his 38th homer of the season, connecting against Emilio Pagán (4-5) with two outs to score Steven Kwan and Angel Martínez. The All-Star third baseman also doubled and tripled. He has 115 RBIs.  The Guardians used seven pitchers, with Hunter Gaddis (6-3) picking up the win and Emmanuel Clase getting his franchise-record 47th save. Cincinnati did not have a baserunner until TJ Friedl reached on a bunt single in the seventh.

Castellanos homers as the Phillies beat the Cubs 9-6 and clinch first-round bye in playoffs

Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner and Kody Clemens homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 9-6 and clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs. Castellanos had three hits and scored three times. Bryson Stott also had three hits and Brandon Marsh drove in three runs for the Phillies, who claimed their first NL East title in 13 years on Monday night. Coupled with Milwaukee's 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia secured the bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS. Nico Hoerner homered twice for Chicago, and Isaac Paredes hit four singles.

Ortiz pitches seven strong innings as Pirates cool off NL Central champion Brewers 2-1

Liover Peguero slashed a two-run double, Luis Ortiz pitched seven strong innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. Ortiz (7-6) allowed one run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings. His only mistake was a second-inning pitch to Jake Bauers that Bauers sent to the seats in right-center for his 12th homer of the season. Peguero, called up in the final week of the season, doubled off Freddy Peralta (11-9) to produce the only offense the Pirates needed to beat the NL Central champions.

Yankee Stadium to host exhibition games in November between Dominican Winter League rivals

Yankee Stadium will host the first two games of a Dominican Winter League exhibition series in November between Tigres del Licey and Águilas Cibaeñas. The longtime rivals will meet in the Bronx on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. A postgame concert will follow both matchups, the New York Yankees announced Wednesday. The same teams also played exhibition games in New York City last November, across town at Citi Field in Queens. The temperature at first pitch for the series opener was 52 degrees. Tigres and Águilas are the two winningest clubs in Dominican Winter League history. Tigres have won 24 championships, including each of the past two. Aguilas took their 22nd crown in 2021.

Royals' Lorenzen departs after only 2 1/3 innings in first start since return from IL

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen departed in the third inning of his start against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night in his first action since a return from the injured list. Lorenzen (left hamstring) was activated pregame from the 15-day IL to make his first start since Aug. 27. Lorenzen struck out two batters, retired seven and did not allow a hit over 28 pitches. He departed with a 1-0 lead midway through Nasim Nuñez's at-bat after a visit from the training staff. Daniel Lynch IV entered and completed another scoreless frame.

Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to miss postseason with lat injury

Grayson Rodriguez won't pitch again this year, another setback for the injury-ravaged Baltimore Orioles as they prepare for the playoffs. Rodriguez, the team's No. 2 starter, has been on the injured list since early August because of right lat discomfort. Even last week, the Orioles were still hoping to get him back before October. But manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday the right-hander is being shut down and will miss the postseason. Baltimore will focus instead on getting Rodriguez healthy and ready for 2025. Rodriguez was 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA over 20 starts in his second major league season. He struck out 130 batters and walked 36 in 116 2/3 innings.

CF Luis Robert Jr. takes responsibility for White Sox's struggles

Luis Robert Jr. is blaming himself for the terrible season for the Chicago White Sox. Robert said he feels embarrassed and responsible for what has happened to the White Sox, who were tied with the 1962 New York Mets for the modern major league record of 120 losses entering their game against the Los Angeles Angels. One of the few bright spots on a team that lost 101 games last year, Robert has been a disappointment this year. The 27-year-old Cuban center fielder missed two months after straining his right hip flexor at Kansas City on April 5. He has struggled since his return.

The Pittsburgh Pirates brought Paul Skenes along slowly. The star rookie pitcher now understands why

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes says the team's plan to bring him along slowly worked almost perfectly. The 22-year-old began the season in Triple-A. He arrived in the majors in mid-May and is 11-2 with a 1.99 ERA heading into his final start of the year against the New York Yankees. Skenes says he didn't love the idea of starting in the minors but believes it's one of the reasons he feels so good in late September. The hard-throwing right-hander says he expects to have fewer restrictions on his availability in 2025.

Mets and Braves to play doubleheader on Monday after forecast washes out rest of pivotal series

The last two games of the pivotal series between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves have been postponed due to the forecast for inclement weather. New York, Atlanta and Arizona are battling for the last two NL wild cards. Heading into the day, the 87-70 Mets were in the second spot, a half-game ahead of the Diamondbacks and a full game better than the 86-71 Braves. The last two games of the three-game set, originally scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, will be made up as a doubleheader Monday in Atlanta. The first game will start at 1:10 p.m., with the second starting 40 minutes after the last out of the first.

Mariners continue fight for AL wild card with 8-1 win over Astros

Mitch Garver and Julio Rodríguez homered, and the Seattle Mariners took advantage of five Houston errors during an 8-1 victory over the Astros. Seattle won for the fifth time in seven games as it tries to rally into an AL wild card. It is chasing Detroit and Kansas City for one of the last two spots. The Mariners were down 1-0 before rallying in the sixth. George Kirby pitched six innings of four-hit ball in his third consecutive win. He struck out six and walked one.

Nestor Cortes goes on injured list with ailing elbow in a blow to Yankees' postseason pitching

Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes has a flexor strain in his pitching elbow and was placed on the 15-day injured list in a blow to New York's rotation heading into the playoffs. Cortes and the Yankees are still holding out hope he could return at some point in the postseason, but it didn't sound likely. Cortes was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday night against Baltimore and replaced by Marcus Stroman, with the Yankees one win from clinching the AL East title and a first-round playoff bye. Cortes had an MRI on Monday and was put on the IL retroactive to Sunday.

All-Star OF Steven Kwan homers in first at-bat in return from IL as Guardians down Reds 5-2 win

Steven Kwan needed just one swing to show he's playoff ready. Kwan returned from the injured list and homered leading off Wednesday night's game as the Cleveland Guardians continued to tune up for the postseason with a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Kwan had been out with a back issue and his return provided a nice boost for the AL Central champions, who are trying to catch the New York Yankees for the top seed in the postseason. With Kwan returning, Cleveland optioned outfielder Myles Straw to Triple-A Columbus. Kwan led the majors with a .352 average at the All-Star break. But the 27-year-old was hitting just .201 in 50 games before being placed on the IL.

MLB playoffs approach with Judge vs. Ohtani as an enticing Fall Classic possibility

The Major League Baseball playoffs are approaching and a Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge matchup in the World Series looms as an enticing October possibility. The rooting interests of baseball fans vary widely but there's little doubt MLB and television executives are drooling over the potential matchup between two of the top sluggers of this generation. Ohtani recently became the first player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in one season while Judge is up to 56 homers.

The Athletics are the last major pro sports team still standing in Oakland after other departures

The Oakland Coliseum will soon have a new purpose as the home of the men's professional soccer team the Oakland Roots. It was long a multipurpose venue shared by the Athletics of Major League Baseball and the NFL's Raiders. The A's are wrapping up their final series before a move to Sacramento. Even visiting managers and players have expressed nostalgia and sadness for the end of an era. The NBA's Golden State Warriors used to play next door at Oracle Arena and were the most recent team to leave, moving across the bay to play in San Francisco ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Sports on TV for Thursday, Sept. 26

(All times Eastern)